1. Field
The embodiments described below relate to the processing of angiographic x-ray images acquired while contrast medium is present within a patient volume.
2. Description
According to conventional angiographic x-ray imaging, contrast media are used to enhance the contrast of blood-carrying structures within patient anatomy. For example, contrast medium is introduced into a patient volume (e.g., via intravenous injection) and an x-ray image of the volume is acquired while the medium is located within the volume. In the x-ray image, structures which contain the medium appear darker than they would otherwise appear.
According to DSA (Digital Subtraction Angiography), a “mask image” of the patient volume is subtracted from an x-ray image acquired as described above. The mask image is acquired without the presence of the contrast medium and represents background anatomic detail. The resulting image is intended to portray only the vessel and perfuse tissue components of the patient volume which include contrast medium.
Systems are desired which provide efficient presentation of different blood-carrying components of the patient volume.